Category: Hats

I love this treadling variation. (4,3,2,1,4,1,2,3) I may do the 4th towel with it rather than the 4th variation included in the book. (4,3,4,2,1,2) I want to finish by tomorrow morning for my guild study group meeting. I have caused myself a time crunch because I spent some unweaving time yesterday. I had made 2 treadling errors in towel #2 and contemplated keeping that towel for myself and leaving the mistakes in. But, I decided to heed my own advice, I would rather keep a towel that didn’t have a mistake, so bit the bullet and unwove. I wasted time over the weekend not weaving most of Saturday and all of Sunday because I couldn’t make myself go on with the mistake in, and I didn’t want to unweave. It only took me about 20 minutes to unweave the 4 or 5 inches yesterday and much less than that to reweave. I should have done it right away. The towels would be finished by now if I had.

I need to leave to teach a rigid heddle class soon at the LYS and that will cut into my weaving time tonight. Its a good thing I get up early with my son in the morning. Hopefully I can push through and finish then before I need to leave at 9:30. I used fusible thread in my hems, so a quick iron on the ends and I can take the cloth along to study group with out fear. Washing, cutting apart and hemming of the towels can wait until after the meeting.

I was there this morning teaching a knitting class. I love my knitting classes. It is so gratifying to see how successful people feel the first time they use increases and decreases to make something shaped like a hat in the round, rather than a rectangle or square. Many people knit for years without going beyond the rectangle. In my hat class not only do they use shaping, but they learn to knit on a circular needle and a set of 4 double pointed needles. Such a simple project that creates skill and confidence when they complete it.

Everyone in the class wants to make a sweater now, so that will start in two weeks!

I have two classes beginning this week at Silk Road Textiles. I am teaching a simple hat class beginning on Friday from 12-2 and a Sweater Knitting Workshop beginning on Sunday from 1-3. Both classes will work for newish knitters and teach knitting in the round. You must be comfortable both knitting and purling for either one, but that is the only requirement. The hat requires a 16 inch circular needle and a set of double pointed needles, both in size 8, and worsted weight yarn. You have a couple choices for top down sweater patterns available at the shop and the yarn and needles required will depend on which pattern you choose. I will be available 45 minutes prior to class time for the sweater to help choose the pattern, yarn and needles. Call the shop at 513-541-3700 to register.

This is my new hat pattern. It is knit from 100% bulky wool (superwash for easy care). The ribbing is a double thick hem for an extra chilly day, but it could be knit as a single thickness as well. It has four stitch patterns to give it interesting texture. Hence the name, Four-Way Chilly. I am going to make up a worsted weight version as well and will likely be offering the pattern on Ravelry. Look for it as soon as I can write it up and have it test knit.